person driving car

What Are the 5 Most Important Safety Features For Cars?

profile photo
By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

If you have been in the market for a new car, there are a few things that California car accident attorneys suggest you make sure are on your list of must-haves to help protect you. Not all vehicles are built prioritizing your safety, and when some of these top safety picks aren’t on your list, you could be increasing the chances of an accident or an injury. Here are our top five items safety items to include in your search for a new or used vehicle.

Top 5 Vehicle Safety Features, According to California Personal Injury Attorneys

#1 – Airbags. 

While airbags might seem like a no-brainer, and most vehicles come equipped with a driver’s side airbag, you should also be looking for additional airbags to help protect you in the event of a collision. Driver and passenger airbags typically will deploy if you get into an accident that involves the front of your vehicle. However, some cars come equipped with several additional airbags. The supplemental airbags can help protect you in many different circumstances or accident types. The additional airbags include side curtain airbags, knee airbags, and inflatable seat belts.

#2 – Forward Collision Warning and Braking. 

While airbags and seat belts are generally a minimum safety standard on vehicles, the following four safety features on the list are modern. A forward-collision warning is a system that detects objects in front of your car that you are approaching too quickly. While some of these systems will only sound an alarm to help alert the driver to braking, others will apply emergency braking. While these features are expected to be standard in the next few years, it may take some scrutiny to find them today.

#3 – Blind spot monitoring. 

Changing lanes on multi-lane freeways or highways is one of the most common forms of an accident. Additionally, these accidents usually occur while traveling at higher rates of speed and can be much more dangerous than a simple fender bender. Blind-spot monitoring helps alert drivers when there is a vehicle in the driver’s blind spot. This safety feature often triggers a light on the mirror when a car enters that location or can sound an alarm if the turn signal is initiated while a vehicle is in the blind spot.

#4 – Lane Keep Assist. 

This safety feature helps to track the location of the vehicle within the painted lines of the road. If the turn signal hasn’t been turned on and the car begins to near either side of the lane, a beep, vibration, or visual indication can let a driver know that they are veering into another lane. Lane keep assist makes minor adjustments to the steering to help keep the vehicle in its lane.

#5 – Inattentive driving monitor. 

The number of accidents caused by inattentive driving continues to increase. Many state and local authorities have passed laws that ban phones or other handheld devices while driving. While these efforts help to curb these accidents, inattentive driving can go much further. In addition to alerting the driver when their eyes are not on the road, it can also help warn a driver that they are getting fatigued and at risk of falling asleep. Some of the most advanced technologies will gently apply the brakes or slightly move the steering wheel to get the driver’s attention.

If you are considering a new vehicle, it is crucial to find the car that will keep you out of harm’s way. These five top safety features can help keep you out of the hospital and on the road. Contact our office today if you have been injured in a car accident or by a defective vehicle.

author photo
About the Author
Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.